Adjustable shower apparatus



y 1952 B. A. ALVEY 2,598,092

ADJUSTABLE SHOWER APPARATUS Filed Feb. 10, 1950 FIG. I.

INYENTOR BETTY A. ALVEY ATTORNEY Patented May 27, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ADJUSTABLE SHOWER APPARATUS Betty A. Alvey, San Bernardino, Calif.

Application February 10, 1950, Serial No. 143,410

Claims.

The present invention relates to a new and useful improvement in shower bath apparatus. More specifically it comprises an accessory adapted to be incorporated in an installed, fixed height shower to make possible the vertical adjustment of the shower head.

The usual shower unit, whether it be in a shower room or over a bathtub, comprises a fixed height outlet pipe at the end of which is fixed a shower head or nozzle. In certain preferred embodiments the head is angularly adjustable as to enable the user to direct the spray. The vertical height of the head itself, however, is usually fixed.

While a shower nozzle might be at the proper height for a tall person a person of lesser height, as for example a woman desiring to keep her hair dry, might find it too high. Additionally, in the case of the shorter person the nozzle would be positioned farther from the body and a part of the force of the individual jets would be lost thereby reducing the beneficial results of the shower obtained where hard needle-like streams are used.

With an appreciation of the desirability of enabling a user to position the shower nozzle at a vertical height of greatest convenience it is an object of the present invention to provide an accessory adapted to convert an installed shower having a nozzle of fixed height into a unit in which the nozzle can be varied as he or she desires.

This and other more specific objects will appear upon reading the following specification and claims and upon considering in connection therewith the attached drawing to which they relate.

Referring now to the drawing in which a preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated.

Figure 1 is a side view of a shower unit apparatus constructed in accordance with the present invention operatively installed in a permanent shower installation;

Figure 2 is a view of the supporting bracket looking in the direction of the arrows upon the line 2-2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is an enlarged showing of the vertically adjustable shower head positioned upon the supporting bracket forming a part of the unit; and

Figure 4 is a transverse section looking in the direction of the arrows upon the line 4-4 of Figure 3.

Referring again to the drawing, the reference character I0 indicates a supporting wall, for example the Wall of a shower room or the wall above a. bathtub. An outwardly projecting rigid water pipe H is bent downwardly at itsend l2 and carries a spray nozzle shown in dotted lines and indicated by the reference character I3. Nozzle I3 is fixed at the endof pipe H and its vertical height cannot be varied.

According to the present invention the nozzle [3 is removed and a flexible hose It, provided with a coupling I! at its end, is secured to the pipe I l. The opposite end of conduit I6 connects to a head unit [8 which includes a passage or conduit l9 through which the water from the hose I 6 passes, a pair of parallel flanges 2! extended rearwardly from the conduit [9, and a nozzle 22 functionally similar to the displaced head 13. A pin 23 extends permanently between the flanges or walls 2|.

An elongated bracket, indicated generally by the reference character 25, is mounted flat against wall I!) and is seen to comprise a back or body 26 formed at its upper end with a hook 21 adapted to engage the pipe I l. Between its ends, body or plate 26 is pressed out or stamped out to form a perpendicularly extending wall or flange 28 which at vertically spaced points is formed with inwardly and downwardly extending notches or seats 29 adapted to receive and to seat the pin 23 of head unit l8. Bracket body 26 is apertured at its opposite ends and screws 3| extend therethrough to secure it against wall Iii. These screws might be eliminated. and reliance placed solely upon the support of the pipe I l but usually this is not to be preferred.

With the head unit pin 23 seated in one of its seats 29 the vertical edges of the walls or flanges 2| abut and extend parallel to back- 26,- in the manner illustrated in Figure 3, to provide a solid supporting relationship. When so located the head unit is displaceable only by a vertical lifting force which moves the pin 23 upwardly and outwardly from the notch in which it is positioned, indicated by the reference character 29. Additionally, the spacing of the walls 2| is only slightly greater than the width of the wall 28 so that a minimum of free tilting action or play is permitted.

To install the adjustable shower unit constructed in accordance with the present invention it is necessary only to remove the conventional shower nozzle l 3 and to attach in its place the coupling I! at the end of the flexible hose I6. The bracket 25 is positioned with its hooked upper end seated over the pipe II and, with it flat against the wall [0, securing screws 3| are positioned clamping it fixedly to the wall. The

shower unit head l8 may then be positioned upon the bracket at any desired height by advancing the walls 2| into enclosing relationship to the bracket wall 28 with the pin 23 seated in one of the seats 29. Vertical adjustment of the shower nozzle 22 is obtained merely by repositioning the head unit [8 to locate the pin 23 in a seat 29 at a difierent height.

In addition to being attachable and usable with an installed shower the present invention is capable of use with a tub bath where no shower installation is present. For example, in such a use the flexible hose It would be connected directly to the water inlet to the tub, while the bracket 25 would be secured by the screws 3! to a wall at the end of the tub and directly above the inlet. The head unit lfi'wouldbe vertically adjustable upon the bracket, in the manner previously described, and the principal difference comprises the fact that the conduit 15 would extend upwardly from the inlet to the tub: rather than downwardly" from the shower outlet as in the first'embo'diment; further in that the bracket 25would not hook upon the shower outlet at the hook 21 as in the first embodiment.

While the particular apparatus herein shown and described in detail is fully capable of attaining' the objects and providing. the advantages hereinbefore stated, it is to be understood that it is merely illustrative of thepresently preferred embodiments of 'the invention and that no limitations are intended tothe detailsofconstruction ordesign herein shown other than as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. An accessory adapted to be combined with installed shower installations of the type having an outlet pipe and a conventional spray nozzle at a fixed height, comprising: a vertically elongated bracket including a hook at its upper end adapted to be-hung-- over the outlet pipe, and formed between its endswith a plurality of vertically spaced seats, a shower head including a-spray nozzle and seating means adapted'se lectively tobe positioned in the seats of said brackets 'to'determine' the vertical height of said head, and aflexible conduit connecting said head tothe end of said outlet pipe from'which the conventionalspray nozzle has been removed, said conduit having-"sufiici'ent length to permit of the vertical adjustment of said head" along said bracket. V w I v 2. An accessory for shower installations 'ofthe type having an outlet pipe and'a conventional spraynozzle at' a fixed height above thefloor,

comprising: a bracket formed of'an elongated body having a hooked upper end adapted: toseat uponsaidoutletpipe, and formed between its upper and lower ends with an outwardly extending wall formed with upwardly and outwardly opening notches or seats, a shower nozzle head including a nozzle and a rigid passage connected thereto, said head having vertically extending spaced parallel walls adapted to be positioned upon opposite sides of said bracket flange and a connecting pin therebetween adapted to seat selectively in said notches, and a flexible hose extended between'said head and said outlet pipe from the end of which the conventional nozzle has been removed.

3. In a shower construction, a rigid pipe extended outwardly from a supporting wall, a vertically extending bracket provided with vertically spaced seats and supported by said pipe, a shower nozzle head including a spray nozzle and means adapted to cooperate selectively with the seats on said bracket, and a flexible hose connecting said nozzle head to the outer end of said pipe.

l. A shower nozzle head unit comprising a body formed with a fluid conduit and with spaced: parallel outwardly extending walls, a transverse pin extended between said walls, and a-spray.

nozzle removably seated on said-body'at the end of said conduit.

5. A supporting bracket for a shower nozzle head of the-type adapted to be supported froma fixed height horizontally extending water. pipe, comprising: an elongated rigid body. havinga hooked upper end adapted to seat over said pipe,

a vertically extending flange stamped from said body and extending at right angles thereto, said flange being formed at vertically spaced points with downwardly and inwardly extending notches adapted to receive seating. means carried by a nozzle head.

BETTY A. ALVEY.

earrin -Nonsorr'nn The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS its," 

